Magnetic drives are made use of in solenoid valves in order to drive them appropriately. Typically, such a magnetic drive includes a magnet armature and a magnet coil cooperating therewith. In the most widely used form, the magnetic drives are based on so-called lifting armatures, in which the armature is arranged within the coil which, in turn, is surrounded by a housing. However, solenoid valves having a drive with a lifting armature are unsuitable for some applications because the dimensions of the housing are too large.
In a different design type, the armature is arranged outside the coil. The coil and the armature are then usually surrounded by two separate housings: the armature housing and the coil housing. The coil housing is typically realized by insert molding or pressure coating with a plastic material to protect the coil from any harmful external influences. The armature housing is frequently composed of two housings which enclose the armature in such a manner that it is movably mounted therein. The two housings, i.e. the armature housing and the coil housing, are then typically connected with each other to form a unit.
The external dimensions of the housing of this type of design, however, are still too large for many applications. This primarily applies to ever advancing miniaturizations, for example when a large number of solenoid valves are fitted together to form a battery.